By Anne McCarthy
So, you are someone you know is getting married and a bachelorette party is in the works! Why not choose Paris as the destination?
Everyone knows that there are few places more romantic than the City of Light, so it makes sense that a bride-to-be may choose Paris as her bachelorette party city of choice! What better place to celebrate upcoming nuptials and lifelong romance than literally the most romantic city in the world? (Planning a proposal instead of a pre-wedding party? Check out our post on Planning a Romantic European Proposal.)
If you’re planning a bachelorette party in Paris, be sure to visit us at Fat Tire Tours Paris! We love a celebration and would love to help you honor your big day. We even have specialized tours if you’re planning European bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Our Sips and Scents: Perfume Workshop and Sparkling Wine with Eiffel Tower View is the perfect bachelorette party experience for your time in Paris. Looking for something even more grand and adventurous? Book our Custom Private Champagne Day Trip. This epic excursion leaves from Paris (includes roundtrip private transportation to and from Paris), includes a knowledgeable guide, and multiple champagne tastings. This is not to be missed.
And for fans of Netflix’s hit show Emily in Paris, be sure to book our VIP Emily in Paris Walking Tour.
Here are nine tips to note while planning your bachelorette party in Paris!
Secure the Hotel or Airbnb
First things first: lodging. You will need a firm headcount of who is attending the bachelorette party, and how many sleeping places you need.
Depending on the mood you want for your trip, you may prefer a fancy luxury Airbnb where you can prepare your own meals and enjoy long nights of sipping wine and indulging in chit-chat with your favorite gal pals. Or, if you want separate sleeping areas and a bit more individualized space, you may prefer to book a Paris hotel. Boutique hotels are a great way to go and are available at different price points.
As they say, secure the bag––er, hotel, in this instance, and then get the planning ball even more rolling!
Book the Flights
Get those flights booked, toute suite! Most airlines follow a dynamic pricing model so you will pay more during peak-season times, like May – August. When you see a good price that fits your budget, book it. It’s worth enlisting in airlines’ miles programs so you can build up loyalty with a particular airline over time.
Check for flights on sites like Kayak, which allow you to compare prices from different airlines and use different filters, like pricing, arrival time, number of stops, and more. If you’re traveling as a group, be sure to discuss budgetary expectations and constraints with everyone before deciding on a flight.
Book Your Tours
Book those tours! At Fat Tire Tours, we have a huge range of different tours available to suit all different needs and interests. For Paris first-timers, we recommend tours like our classic Paris Day Bike and Paris Night Bike Tours, which lead you around the city by bike and are a great way to see all the top sights with a knowledgeable and fun guide.
If it’s your first time in the City of Light, you’ll no doubt also be interested in seeing the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower; we have tours highlighting both these iconic Parisian spots. The Versailles Bike Tour is another popular favorite to consider so you can see the stunning Versailles Palace.
Enjoy the City
An important tip not to neglect is to have fun, relax, and enjoy the magical ambiance found all over Paris! It can be tempting, when planning a large-scale trip with multiple people, to get so caught up in the logistics that you forget to relax and have fun!
Paris is an ideal setting for simply living in the moment, noticing beauty, and soaking up life. Sit with your group in a café, order a coffee, and sit and watch the world go by. Later, stroll through the city streets and stop in another café and have a glass of wine. Truth be told, the best thing to do in Paris is to experience it from the streets, be it a walking tour, a bike tour, or just ambling aimlessly along the rues, appreciating the beauty of the city.
Plan the Meals
If you’re traveling with a large group, you should consider making reservations in advance, especially for dinner. Particularly during the busy season, restaurants can get quite crowded, and you don’t want to arrive with a hungry group and have to wait an hour to sit down. Plan ahead while also leaving room for spontaneity.
Also, you should note that many restaurants may ask for your credit card details when you make the booking, and they might charge you for a no-show or a cancellation that occurs less than 24 hours before your booking. These cancellation fees can be pricey, so be sure everyone is on board with the plan so you avoid fees!
Staying at an Airbnb? Why not visit a French market and shop for lots of delicious foods so you can make an epic French feast where you’re staying? If this idea entices you, you may want to check out our Market Tour & French Cooking Class. A cooking class is a great way to get a literal taste of French culture and have a fun group activity.
Shop for Trip Fits––Before & On the Trip
Paris is a fashion capital of the world, which means you may be inclined to both look your best and also road test some fashion looks you’ve been wanting to try.
The shopping in Paris is absolutely excellent. One of the most iconic shopping streets in Paris is the Champs-Élysées, a historic street that is nearly 2 kilometers long and is filled with fancy shops and places to eat. For fashion lovers, it’s worth a visit to the Louis Vuitton flagship store.
(Also, an important note: If you’re an LV lover and want to buy an LV product, it is less expensive to do so in France than in other parts of the world. This is also true for other French-made luxury products, not just LV.)
Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are both big fancy department stores in the 8th arrondissement which are worth a visit for the shopping lovers in the group.
Plan for Getting Around
Paris’s public transportation system is excellent, and the Paris métro system is renowned worldwide for its speed and efficiency. You can easily use the metro to get to where you want to go. The buses in Paris are also great, and cabs and Ubers are plentiful as well.
If you’re staying in a central part of the city, you’ll be able to walk most places you want to go, and there are few joys greater than walking around Paris. Check out the Fat Tire Tour’s Guide for Using Public Transportation in Paris for more information.
Identify Fun Activities to Do
For group trips, it’s a great idea to have some fun activities planned, like a bike tour, or champagne tour. You may also consider a macaron-making class, a sightseeing boat tour (this is included in our Paris Night Bike Tour!), a burlesque show (like at Moulin Rouge), a VIP Emily in Paris Walking Tour, and even a private karaoke booth session.
Another great way to commemorate the occasion is by booking a photo shoot in Paris for your group. Many photographers in Paris are listed on Airbnb Experiences and offer group photo shoots. It’s so much fun to get dressed up and photographed with your friends. In Paris, the world is your oyster. Live it up!
Go Out & Have Fun!
You’ll find an enchanting café on practically every corner in Paris, and bars and clubs are easily found, too. For a more relaxed vibe, sit with your group in a café until the late hours of the evening, sipping on champagne and talking about everything under the sun.
If you want a bigger, bad b***h night out, head to a bar, club, or cabaret, like the iconic Moulin Rouge, Le Duc des Lombards, Harry’s New York Bar, the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz, La Station, Petit Bain, Rex Club, Dehors Bruit, or many of the other options that pepper the city.
If you’re a lover of jazz music, check out our article, 4 of the Most Iconic Jazz Clubs in Paris.
Anne McCarthy is the Editor in Chief of the Fat Tire Tours Blog. She is a contributing writer to the BBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Variety, Wired, and many more. She splits her time between the U.S. and Europe.
